In the Mirror
by Nel
Summary: HP: DH spoilers! George's musings after the last battle.


In the Mirror

George sat down in his old bedroom in the burrow. He wasn't alone. Percy was sharing his room now that he was back and Fred was gone. Was that a worthwhile exchange? He was glad to see Percy. He hadn't thought he could get any happier when his brother had come charging out asking if he had missed the fighting. He had thought, finally, our family will be whole again! And then he had died.

He sat down in front of the mirror, looking at his own reflection. They hadn't been quite identical since he had lost that ear. Harry had pulled him aside and let him know that Snape hadn't been aiming for him, and had, in fact, been pretty horrified when he realized he chopped off his ear. But old batwings was dead too. Everybody was dead. He rested his head on the bureau in the room, his mangled ear facing down. "If you were here, mate, we'd be having quite the party. Fillibuster fireworks everywhere... It's hard to celebrate. I should be celebrating."

Percy was in the room, but he was laying on his bed unspeaking. He had been with Fred when he died. He had been smiling—laughing. Only Fred could die laughing. Percy said that he was happy they had made their peace before he went, and that it didn't look like he had suffered, but he hadn't moved on his bed since he first laid down. George talked to himself quietly.

"I never thought I'd be without you. I thought that if we went we'd go together," tears were slowly streaking down his pale, freckled face. Bill had Fleur, Charlie had his dragons and his friends, Percy... well, he supposed Percy was kind of alone like him now. Ron and Ginny both had Harry, though in different ways. And Ron had Hermione too. But he... who did he have? He had always had Fred. They had started their business together, intending to be rich, dirty old men together. And now... he didn't know how to be close to anybody else. "Why did you leave me? You're a right git, running off like that! Should have at least been with you when you went..."

"It's my fault," Percy said softly from his spot on the mattress. "If I had seen it... but it was so fast."

"It's not your fault," George said without any real force behind it. It really wasn't Percy's fault, but he was so angry that it had been Percy with him and not he, George, his best friend, his other half. He didn't get to say goodbye. If he had known... He noticed that the sounds downstairs were decidedly solemn. Fred hadn't been the only casualty. Remus Lupin, who had taught them so well, so kindly, had also perished with his wife, leaving Ted Remus Lupin without parents. So many had died. What he wouldn't have given to have just that one life back. He could accept Remus and Tonks, they had lived, at least, full, relatively long lives. Too short, but not as short as Fred's.

He glanced up at himself in the mirror. Fred used to stand in front of him and they would fix each other's hair as if they were standing in front of a mirror. They would make sure their clothes were straight and laugh and joke. He had never really needed a mirror. He knew that face better than his own. Now... his glazed eyes slid to his pale reflection, it was only two in this artificial way.

Percy was standing now, walking around the room. "I... Are you going to be okay, George? Do you need me to hang around? I'd like to go talk to mum and dad."

"I'm fine, you can go." Please go, he thought, holding back more tears. Don't see me like this. Only Fred had ever seen him upset, crying. Only Fred had ever seen him laid so bare, because they were open to each other in a way they were open with no one else. Percy clapped his hand gently over his shoulder and held it there for a minute.

"I'll be back in a bit. We can talk more later, okay?" he asked. George nodded solemnly, not taking his eyes off his reflection. Percy left him mercifully undisturbed, but he had never felt more alone.

Harry walked into the room. He had seen Percy leave and as the rest of the family was having sort of a personal family moment, he decided to wander upstairs. He saw George sitting there alone. He wasn't sure he had ever seen them apart before. He knocked lightly on the door and the twin looked up, his eyes puffy and red as his hair.

"Hey, Harry, how're you holding up? I know you and Remus were close."

"Don't worry about me, I'm... I'll be fine. How are you? I'm really sorry about Fred. Nobody can really believe it..."

George said nothing.

"Sorry, mate, we don't have to talk about it. Did you hear about Ron and Hermione? Looks like Ron finally got up the gall to ask her out, and she said yes. It's about time, eh?" he asked.

George cracked a faint smile.

"Do you want to play a game or anything? Or... I can leave."

"No, it's okay, I'll play," he cracked a smile, subtly wiping his eyes on his sleeve and standing up. "Want to play Exploding Snap?"

"Sure," Harry pulled up a chair to the desk and started setting up the game.

"Fred loved Exploding Snap," George said quietly. "He loved a lot of things... living, mostly."

Harry nodded. "He... look, when everybody thought I was dead, I saw Dumbledore and I talked to him. I wasn't dead," he said quietly. "But I was close. I could have gone either way, but I know... I know if I had chosen to go on, that it would have been an adventure. Dumbledore told me a long time ago that to the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. I'm sure Fred with with Remus and Tonks and... and Dobby, Hedwig, and everybody else. With my parents, and Sirius. And I know that whatever they're doing, they're having a grand adventure. Sirius fell through the veil and he was just gone, but I could hear the voices on the other side of the veil and they weren't that far away."

George said nothing.

"Fred hasn't gone that far afterall. If I could meet Dumbledore there, you can meet George there eventually. He'll be waiting for you. Let's play later. I think I'm hungry now. Let's go downstairs. Everybody wants to see you."

"I'll just remind them... of Fred being gone," he said quietly.

"They'll want to be reminded. Come on," he took George's arm firmly and stood him up, leading him out into the hallway. He had never been alone, but he supposed, he still wouldn't be. Percy would be there, and Ron, and Bill and Charlie. But still, nobody had been quite like Fred. Twins, yes, but very different, different in ways only George had known. George glanced back at the mirror sadly, and as he turned away, he swore he saw it wink. There was a lot of Fred in him. They'd shared so much. And maybe, it seemed possible, Fred wasn't so far away after all.


End file.
